Recruiting help
A pair of helping hands might give you the edge you’ll need to survive. Throughout the borderlands of the realm you’ll come across other desperate souls who are willing to explore the vast unknown world with you and your company.
Hirelings
You can spend a day in a settlement asking around for people looking to work. The size of the settlement determines what types of hireling are available.
Make a WIL Danger Roll or pay 20c. If successful, roll number appearing for the type of help you are interested in hiring.
Typical hirelings will have 1d6 HP, and 2d6 STR, DEX and WIL. Hirelings have 6 inventory slots — two hand slots and four pack slots.
| Hireling | Number | Wages/day |
|---|---|---|
| Torchbearer | d6 | 1c |
| Labourer | d6 | 2c |
| Armourer/blacksmith | d2 | 10c |
| Local guide | d4 | 10c |
| Man-at-arms | d6 | 10c |
| Scholar | d2 | 20c |
| Knight | d2 | 30c |
| Interpreter | d2 | 30c |
Hireling Morale
When a hireling or warband is placed in a stressful situation, made to go without pay or food, or asked to do something more dangerous than what they signed on for, they must make a WIL Danger Roll or flee.
Especially well-paid or loyal hirelings may make this Danger Roll Easy.
Hireling advancement
Hirelings and warbands can improve in the same way that your player characters do.
- Hirelings who receive a share of treasure gain 1 XP per coin they are given above their daily wage.
- Warbands who receive share of treasure will gain 1 XP per 10 coin they are given above their weekly wage.
Hirelings and warbands advance at the same rate as player characters, so once a they get 1000 XP, they advance to level 2.
Not receiving a share of treasure may cause resentment amongst hirelings.
Warbands
At one point or another, one player will be dream big and ask, "why can't I be a captain of war and kill my way through foes?" Well Timmy, you can.
When adventurers work together, they can form a warband, and act on a scale capable of facing other warbands or large beasts, like a dragon or giant.
Forming a Warband
A warband is formed by 20 or more fighting men, plus one follower (luggage porter, cook, armourer) for every fighter. Your delver can form a warband under their command.
In a town or city, spend a week recruiting. Make a WIL Danger Roll or pay 1000c.
Warbands start with: 1d6 HP, 10 STR, DEX and WIL, d6 damage (clubs and axes).
Warbands require 1000c a week for upkeep and wages. Failure to pay may result on mutiny.
Battles
Battles between warbands and warband-scale creatures function the same as fights between regular-sized individuals. Attacks deal damage to HP, then to STR.
Attacks by a warband against an non-warband scale creature are enhanced, any damage taken from non-warband scale creatures is ignored unless it is particularly destructive or large scale.
If you see a orc warband, don't just run into the fray. You will surely die alone.
Casualties
When a warband takes critical damage, they are broken and cannot act until rallied. At STR 0 the warband is wiped out. At half STR, the warband must make a WIL Danger Roll or are routed. Warbands recover HP and ability score damage like individuals do, with Short, and Long rests.
Equipping
Equipment improves a warband’s abilities the same way as it does for individuals. Just multiply the purchase price by 20.